fantasy premier league GW26 best defenders and defences

Here’s my view for the fantasy premier league GW26 best defenders and defences. I’ve used a number of stats, actual and underlying. I’ve kept with the blended home and away version rather than splitting them out. There’s also the premium attacking defender and the value defender. I’ve also given you the value of the player as at 

fantasy premier league GW26 best defenders and defences

I’ve provided the information in a very simple table form with a few general notes on the table and an attempted explanation for any surprises. I’ve tried to sacrifice some value and attacking where there isn’t a decent amount of gametime security. Thats even more important at this stage of the season with blank weeks coming up. Obviously in the top 4 challenging teams the squad sizes and the number of games sees that rotation can be a risk so it’s impossible to be 100% . I’ve also added my fixture ease ranking as a proxy for defensive fixtures although it is intended as an attacking fixture check. The first number is the ranking ease of the next 6 fixtures and the 2nd number is the next 3. It’s also important read the notes on each club below as they include the clean sheets in the last 6 games. The stats are over the season. In the narrative I’ve tried to deal with recent form, a cheapie watch and injury issues which will help you make an assessment on your view of the best transfer.

Arsenal – 4 clean sheets in the last 6.  Mertesacker has been on the bench for the last 2 with £4.3m Gabriel starting.  Is that the future? Hard to tell at this stage but there’s no cheapie option at the moment

Spurs – 2 clean sheets in the last 6. 2 consecutive clean sheets have finally seen the defensive stats turned into clean sheets.  Wimmer at £4.6m has replaced the knee ligament injured Vertonghen who has no return date currently.  Otherwise Dier and Alderweireld are the only options

Man Utd – 2 clean sheets in the last 6. GK De Gea at £5.6m is the only realistic alternative to Smalling at the moment with Young and Blind classified as mids. Darmain stays in the team by default but is persona non grata as far as LVG is concerned. Jones has the cheapie potential but can’t stay fit and still has LVG tinkering written all over him. Borthwick Jackson at £4.0m is extremely cheap and has started the last 4 with Rojo and Shaw injured. Rojo and Jones could be back soon though which could easily end his place as either Rojo or Blind can play LB.

Man City – 3 clean sheets in the last 6. Rotation is now rife and Otamendi seems the only secure option unless you want to go to £5.5m GK Hart

Southampton – 5 clean sheets in the last 6.  Unfortunately the cheapies of Targett and Yoshida have gametime risk,  Fonte and VVD are relatively expensive.  The GK Forster has been in fantastic form and is only £4.9m.  How long can he single handedly get them clean sheets is the question.  Guaranteed game in the blank week of GW30.

Watford – 1 clean sheet in the last 6. Finally a clean sheet albeit a lucky one against Chelsea.  Reasonable value but seem to have lost that early season clean sheet ability

Liverpool – 0 clean sheets in the last 6.  Another horrific defensive performance against Sunderland and the GK again had a nightmare. Moreno has good attacking form but it’s hard to see that poor performances will not see him dropped at some stage

Leicester – 4 clean sheets in the last 6 incredibly.  Looking defensively strong

Chelsea – 3 clean sheets in the last 6. It will be interesting to see how the loss of Zouma effects them.  In the 4 games he’s either not played or played limited minutes they’ve conceded 10 goals which is not a good sign.  He’s also the only CB with any pace.

C Palace – 0 clean sheets in the last 6.  The wheels have really come off the Palace defence.  Dann keeps scoring with 5 goals but at £5.8m you want clean sheets as well as the odd goal

Everton – 3 clean sheets in the last 6. Jagielka at £5.1m seems to be making the difference.  Baines seems a rotation threat.

WBA – 2 clean sheet in the last 6.

Stoke – 1 clean sheet in the last 6.  They are guaranteed a game in GW30 is one advantage.  It could be the absence of Shawcross  but whatever the defence is in freefall and in the last 3 games without Shawcross they’ve conceded 3 goals in each of them.  Butland now looks expensive at £5.3m.  Wollscheid is good value at £4.5m but he had a nightmare against Everton and you have to think changes will come on current form.

Swansea – 1 clean sheets in the last 6. £4.1m cheapie Rangel has started all 3 under the new manager. Williams is a bonus point hoover

West Ham – 2 clean sheets in the last 6. £4.3m cheapie Collins is the value at CB and held his place in the 3 games since Reid has returned.  Cresswell is the real attacking threat though with a goal and 3 assists

A Villa – 3 clean sheets in the last 6 incredibly.  Although they were against Palace, WBA and Norwich

Bournemouth – 2 clean sheets in the last 6.  Daniels at LB is one of the few defensive penalty takers it’s just whether the clean sheet risk (their season total is 5) is worth the potential attacking returns. Captain Elphick is fit so maybe cheapie RB Smith is safe although needs a bit more testing

Newcastle – 1 clean sheets in the last 6.    GK Elliot offers value at £4.0m plus a DGW at some stage and a guaranteed game in the potential mass blank week of GW30.  Alot of injuries have to make a fairly fragile defence even more risky

Norwich – 1 clean sheets in the last 6 and 16 goals conceded says it all.

Sunderland – 0 clean sheets in the last 6. 0 clean sheets in the last 11.

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